Uber Launches In Athens

The rumble you are feeling is not an earthquake; it is the entire student body of the University of Georgia cheering.

Uber announced today that it is launching its service in 24 new cities–mostly college towns. Despite tremendous pressure from state governments to increase regulation on ridesharing companies such as Uber, the company continues to grow and exceed its own goals.

Today we are one step closer to our vision of UberEverywhere — a bold idea that no matter where you are, a reliable ride with Uber is just 5 minutes away. With today’s launch of 24 new markets, the Uber network is now available in 205 cities across 45 countries and 6 continents worldwide (bring it, Antarctica!) — more than double our #Uber100 milestone reached just four months ago. With more than 100 cities in the U.S. (now covering 55% of the U.S. population), 10 cities in India, 6 cities in China and 43 cities launched in August alone, those numbers are growing every day.

It is worth noting that some House members proposed a measure targeting Uber and Lyft during the most recent legislative session, but after a public outcry the measure never made it to the floor for a vote. However, rideshare services are to be studied this fall by House members.

I had my first taste of Whataburger in Jacksonville recently, and it kind of reminded me of Burger Chef, which I haven’t had since the 70’s. Depending on location, that could do well in Athens, and a new choice for fast and cheap burgers would be most welcome. Meanwhile, a good friend of mine just got hired by Uber, so the first part of your scenario is in place now.